Aug 29, 2011

The Ukrainian Sich-2 earth observation satellite, which was put into a geostationary orbit by Dnepr launch vehicle on August 17 from a Russian launch base, has successfully conducted its first scheduled survey of the Earth’s surface.

As Interfax-Ukraine learned at the State Space Agency of Ukraine, the survey was carried out in line with the program of the flight development tests of the Sich-2 spacecraft on August 25 (on the 9th day of the flight). On the whole, the program of flight development tests is designed for 35 days and envisages the survey of different regions of the Earth, as well as holding various scientific measurements in the frames of the Potential space experiment.

The information received by an onboard sensor was sent from the spacecraft to the ground satellite data receiving and processing centre in the town of Dunaivtsi, Khmelnytsky region. The survey was taken and processed by the ground equipment, the space agency said.

According to the spokesman, they have already checked basic and backup sets of onboard equipment of Sich-2.

“The checks have been made in full, onboard equipment is functioning properly,” he said.

The Ukrainian satellite Sich-2 was successfully launched with a Dnepr carrier rocket from the Yasny launch base in the Orenburg region on August 17.

The satellite Sich-2, weighing 175 kilograms, was developed by the Dnipropetrovsk-based Pivdenne design bureau at the Ukrainian State Space Agency’s order. It is intended to film designated areas on the Earth surface in the visible and infrared ranges.

Ukraine plans to deploy an Earth-monitoring satellite grouping of two-three satellites to work in orbit simultaneously.